What is Oudh al Hind?

Oudh al Hind is the term mostly associated with the dense and dark aromatic resinous substance embedded in the heartwood of the precious Aquilaria Agallocha species of trees (from the family Thymelaeaceae). This resinous heartwood is formed as a natural defense mechanism, when these trees are infected with parasite fungus or mold called Phialophora parasitica.

Aquilaria Agallocha

These Aquilaria Agallocha trees are mostly large evergreens native to Southeast of Asia. Oudh al Hind derives its name from the words -‘Oudh’ which translates to ‘wood’ and ‘al Hind’ which translate to ‘of India’, since India being the most prominent native for these precious Aquilaria Agallocha species of trees compared to the rest of the countries in Southeast Asia. This makes Oudh al Hind the most sought after and in demand around the world, especially in Arabian countries.

The extracted dense and dark aromatic resinous heartwood from these trees is commonly called as ‘Oudh al Hind’. It is also called ‘Dehn Oudh’ which translates to Wood’s Oil – ‘Dehn’ means Oil and ‘Oudh’ means Wood. While the resinous embedded wood is called ‘Agarwood’.

As its origin is from nature, Oudh al Hind has been dubbed as nature’s own fragrance. It is prestigious and holy and has widely been used since the time of ancient civilizations in various ritualistic practices. The fragrance is being appreciated and cherished from centuries and has also been mentioned in various ancient scriptures and folklore. It is admired by holy-men, kings, traditions and finds itself as a part of many religious and cultural legacies. This tradition of and admiration of Oudh al Hind has continued this day. Its popularity can be gauged by the different names it is known as worldwide.